Pick a look.
Build it right.

All Aesthetics, A to Z

Cultural review marks the 17 Aesthetics whose newer research waits for people with standing to read it. See the open reviews

Acid GraphicsToxic green and magenta, warped 3D type, noise overlay, tight tracking Anti-DesignNo shared edge, crowded type that won't align, harsh colour, pages that disorient on purpose ApothecaryAmber and cobalt glass, engraved labels, ruled dosage detail, botanical line art ArcadePixel typography, CRT scan lines, score and lives counters, sprite illustration ArchivalIndex-card layout, call numbers, alphabetical navigation, aged paper ground Art DecoCultural reviewStepped forms, sunburst motifs, gold linework, strict symmetry, vertical emphasis Art NouveauWhiplash curves, stylised botanicals, custom curvilinear lettering, muted jewel tones BauhausA fourteen-year experiment in how art, craft, technology and everyday life might be redesigned together. BlueprintCyanotype blue ground, white line drawings, dimension callouts, title block panel BroadsheetNarrow justified columns, hairline rules, masthead, black ink on newsprint CartographicContour lines, legend panel, grid coordinates, route markers Cassette FuturismBeige and amber CRT, chunky physical switches, low-resolution readouts, ruled panels CircusCultural reviewBig-top stripes, bulb lighting, ribbon banners, ornate wood-type borders CoquetteCultural reviewBow and ribbon motifs, blush and cream, tulle and lace texture, soft film grain CottagecoreCultural reviewGingham and floral pattern, wildflower motifs, soft daylight, hand-lettered accents CyberpunkCultural reviewNeon on wet black, bilingual signage, glitch artefacts, dense overlay UI Dark AcademiaCultural reviewLow-light library imagery, Latin phrases, deep brown and oxblood, engraved ornament DesertCultural reviewCanyon stripe gradients, arch and mesa shapes, dusty rose and ochre, cacti motifs Developer DarkLow-luminance surfaces, technical typography, restrained chrome and information designed to be scanned, operated and understood DiscoCultural reviewMirror-ball refractions, satin sheen, gold on chocolate brown, starburst flare Dystopian BureaucraticRedaction bars, form-like layouts, stamped approvals, cold grey palette Editorial ModernismSpread composed as one image, bled photography, one restricted typeface, generous white space Engineering DrawingMultiple projected views, part numbering, coded line weights, title block Fashion EditorialFashion presented as story, atmosphere and attitude — where photography, styling, typography and composition become a single art-directed experience. Flat DesignZero depth, solid fills, simple icon set, bright but limited palette GildedMetallic gold detail, deep black ground, monogram device, symmetry Golden Era Hip-HopCultural reviewGold on black, chrome and graffiti lettering, grainy street photography, sleeve proportions GoogieStarburst motifs, boomerang shapes, upswept roofs, neon signs Heavy MetalSub-genre logo lettering, engraved horror imagery, near-black palette, symmetrical sigils HeritageArmorial device or seal, founding date, engraved illustration, deep navy or burgundy IndustrialHazard stripes, stencil lettering, metal textures, heavy rules InternetcoreA contemporary aesthetic that deliberately reconstructs and remixes the visual language of early personal computing and the web. Japanese MinimalismEmptiness around a single subject, a withheld message, space left for the viewer to fill KawaiiCultural reviewMascot characters, sparkle and heart motifs, pastel with one bright, everything rounded MangaScreentone shading, speed lines, panel-based sectioning, expressive character art MaximalismClashing pattern on pattern, layered elements, full-bleed colour, no empty space MediterraneanWhitewash and cobalt, hard sun shadows, tile and terracotta, lemon and olive motifs MemphisSquiggles, speckle and animal-skin laminates, unrelated shapes, loud colour paired against expectation Mexican Graphic VernacularCultural reviewFramed compartments in relief line, frame weight as rank, saturated flat colour Mid-Century ModernTextured illustration, bright flat colour, organic shapes, confident negative space ModConcentric targets, bold stripes, flat colour fields, rounded bubble type Modern SaaSNeutral ground, one saturated accent reserved for the primary action, rounded cards under soft elevation, product screenshot hero, customer logo bar Neo-BaroqueOrnamental frames, chiaroscuro imagery, gold detailing, centred symmetry Neo-BrutalismThick black outlines, hard unblurred shadows, clashing candy colour, chunky buttons New Wave TypographyStepped shapes, layered film collage, letterspaced and angled type, deliberate grid breaks OccultCultural reviewCelestial linework, moon-phase motifs, gold on deep purple Pop ArtBen-Day dots, thick black outlines, primary colours, speech-bubble devices PsychedelicLiquid warped lettering, vibrating complementary colour, radial symmetry, hand-drawn borders PulpPainted cover scenes, full-colour covers, angled banners, breathless display type Quiet LuxuryAn aesthetic of understated quality: value communicated through material, proportion, craftsmanship, fit, detail and restraint rather than conspicuous branding or decorative display. RetrofuturismThe future imagined through the technological and cultural assumptions of the past. RusticUnfinished wood and bark, twig and log work, rough cloth, deep rich colours Scandinavian MinimalismPale neutrals, daylight photography, rounded corners, functional clarity ScientificFigure numbering, inline data plots, numbered references ScrapbookSticker layers, washi tape, handwriting, rotated elements Seventies RevivalBurnt orange and avocado, bulbous rounded type, film grain, sun-arch motifs SolarpunkCultural reviewGreen and gold, plant-covered structures, stained-glass motifs, warm daylight Southern GothicCultural reviewHeat haze, peeling paint, kudzu, sun-bleached palette, humid low contrast StorybookPainted illustration, decorative initials, scroll as page turn, warm soft palette Streamline ModerneHorizontal speed lines, rounded corners, curved forms, white stucco and metal trim StreetwearCultural reviewBox logo lockups, deck graphic proportions, heavy grotesk, candid street photography Swiss StyleModular grid, flush-left ragged-right, one neutral grotesk, asymmetric balance, no ornament SynthwavePerspective grid, neon glow, chrome gradients, purple-to-orange sky TeletextBlocky broadcast characters, coarse colour grid, fixed rows, saturated primaries TerminalMonospace throughout, blinking cursor, one phosphor hue on dark, command prompts Travel PosterFlattened landscape illustration, destination wordmark, limited flat palette, poster proportions UtilitarianBrowser default font, default link colours, no imagery, very fast VaporwaveCultural reviewPastel gradients, classical statuary, retro OS chrome, glitch and VHS artefacts VictorianMultiple type styles per line, engraved illustration, fleurons and rules, black ink on white stock Web 1.0Tiled backgrounds, animated GIFs, centred tables, font tags Web BrutalismNo border radius, default system fonts, default blue links, visible structure WesternCultural reviewSlab and wood type, ornamental banners, leather and denim texture, dusty warm palette Y2KTranslucent coloured plastic, blob forms, chrome and gloss, chunky rounded type
Missing a look you need?Tell us which one to research next. Request an Aesthetic
Feedback